queer
media and culture
Gamut 1 is a Cape Town-based non-profit LGBTQIA+ organisation using media, culture and research to build a world where queer and trans rights are honoured, and everyone belongs.
We are the mavericks, the disruptors, the revolutionaries – the odd kids on the block – authentic, distinct, and unapologetically ourselves.
Our work aims to reclaim our histories, foster wellness, and build sustainable futures for queer and trans people in local and global communities.
We envision a rights-based society where inclusion is a lived and embodied reality. We see a future where every individual is an engaged, active, and compassionate agent in their own life, helping to build a supportive environment for all members of their society.
To achieve this, we use media, culture and research as mechanisms for embodied safety, resistance, and joy.
Media
We tell stories that explore the legal landscapes of our rights and that centres the joys and the resilience of living fully and openly as our truest and whole selves.
Culture
Our cultural programmes and training workshops create inclusive and educational spaces for safety, resistance, and empowerment.
Research
We conduct ongoing research to measure the influence and impact of our work, using both quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the power of storytelling and culture to activate social change.
Empathy
By using storytelling and cultural immersion that resonates emotionally and somatically, we invite our audience to step into their own and someone else’s shoes.This is how we change hearts and minds.
Self-Efficacy
We work to build self-efficacy – a person's belief in their own ability to make choices, change their attitudes, and shape their own future. This is how we change communities and societies.
“I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act. It is an act that can be met with hostility, exclusion, and violence. It can also lead to love, understanding, transcendence, and community. I hope that my being real with you will help empower you to step into who you are and encourage you to share yourself with those around you.”